Chapter 14 - FOURTEEN - I’M SORRY

Chapter 14: Chapter FOURTEEN - I’M SORRYDarius! Darius’s face burned with frustration, his hands curling into fists as they walked in strained silence. Serena remained quiet at first, matching his pace. He nodded at the men who passed them and waved at the women. "I’m sorry," she croaked. He ignored her. "I’m sorry," she said louder. Darius swallowed hard, stealing a glance at her. Her lips were turned down in a frown, and she looked scared. "I have nothing to say to you just yet," he muttered, his voice cold. "I’m sorry," she repeated. Darius offered no more words. This situation was getting out of control too quickly for him to get a handle on it. Why couldn’t she just stay put? The worst-case scenario had just happened, this particular scenario hadn’t even been imagined even. Darius wondered how he’d managed to claim she was an Ambassador, it was too far-fetched. "Mummy, look, it’s the Alpha with that woman," said a shrill voice. Darius turned his head sharply to see a curly-haired boy pointing at them, his expression brimming with curiosity. It was Derek, the boy who’d lost his father during the rogue skirmishes last year. The boy’s mother appeared, stepping out of their yard with her sleeves rolled up, water dripping from her hands. She offered a warm wave, her face lighting up at the sight of Darius. He forced a smile, nodding in return. "That woman?" he muttered under his breath, loud enough for Serena to hear. His narrowed gaze flicked to her. "What did you do?" "I did nothing," she answered quickly. "You do realize you’re a poor liar." He’d already noticed how she rushed her words when she wasn’t being truthful. "It really was nothing. He ran into me and..." "Beatrice was not the only one you ran into?" he asked incredulously. Serena faltered, her eyes darting away as though the cobblestones beneath them might offer her salvation. Her silence spoke louder than any answer she could muster. "Listen!" She said waving her hands in the air. "I was just walking." Darius shot her a heated look but she ignored him and continued, "And he just ran into me, I almost fell but that’s just it I promise." Darius took a deep breath, closing his eyes momentarily as he prayed to Lunara for the grace to deal with this woman. "If you had just listened to me, none of this would have happened. It was already going well- just do as you’re told, and you’d be out of here." After visiting the infirmary, he had taken a detour to check on Serena. He had called her name outside for a while before finally letting himself in. The house wasn’t that big, barely having hiding spots but the absence of her shoes told him all he needed to know. All this trouble because she wanted apples and was... bored? He exhaled through his nose, pinching the bridge as he turned to her. Her shoulders were slumped, fingers curling and uncurling in the fabric of her sleeve, and she refused to meet his gaze. A sigh escaped his lips. "You do that a lot," she remarked. Darius quirked a brow. "Do what?" "This," Serena said before exaggerating a dramatic sigh of her own. "Like that. You’ll start feeling like it too." His frown deepened. "What are you even talking about?" "I mean, if you keep doing that, you’ll start feeling down too. I’ve seen it happen to a lot of wol-" She abruptly stopped, shaking her head. "Never mind that. What I’m saying is, I used to feel like that too." Darius ignored the way she cut herself off, chalking it up to one of her usual oddities. "I’ll try to stop doing that," he said, then mimicked her overly dramatic sigh. "Like this, hm?" He watched as she pressed her lips together, a small twitch at the corner betraying her effort to suppress a smile. "That’s a step," she said. A beat of silence passed between them as they took a quieter path. The distant hum of the main road faded, leaving only the rustling of leaves and the occasional snap of a twig beneath their boots. Darius cleared his throat to get Serena’s attention. "Your accent..." he began, watching the blonde woman closely for any sign of deception. He found none and continued. "You pulled it off, very well, even. Seems there’s more to you rogues than meets the eye." Serena’s fingers twitched before she adjusted the white scarf wrapped around her head. It wasn’t slipping, nor was the wind strong enough to disturb it. The unnecessary gesture gnawed at his curiosity, there was no real reason to cover her hair. Perhaps it was just another roguish habit of hers. Serena avoided his gaze again. "I traveled a lot when I was younger," she said simply. Darius waited, expecting her to elaborate, but she didn’t. He decided to let it go. He had more pressing concerns, and a headache was already threatening to set in. — "This isn’t the way to Oakspire," Serena said, lagging a few steps behind. Darius glanced back at her and waved for her to keep up, his pace steady and unbothered. "Your observation is correct. This isn’t the way- nor are we going there." Serena stopped walking altogether. Darius turned fully to face her; noting the way her face had paled, how her wide eyes darted between him and the unfamiliar road ahead, her breathing quick and uneven. "I’m sorry," she choked out. Darius cocked his head, momentarily speechless. "For what?" "The situation with Beatrice... leaving Oakspire." Her words tumbled out in a rush, her voice thick with desperation. "I’m sorry. I promise it won’t happen again." She swallowed hard, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. "Please don’t put me in prison." "Prison?" he echoed, caught off guard. His brows furrowed. Where had she gotten that idea? He watched as she clenched at the fabric of her dress, her entire body tense. Darius exhaled, pinching the bridge of his nose before softening his voice. "I’m not putting you in prison, Serena," he said with yet another sigh. But judging by the panic in her eyes, his words did little to reassure her. "Just come. I swear I’m not." A few minutes later, the path curved, revealing a magnificent manor nestled among towering trees. It was nothing like the grandiosity of the castle, yet it held a unique beauty of its own. Darius stopped at the edge of the courtyard and gestured toward the manor’s grand entrance. "Welcome to Blackthorn Keep," he said. His lips quirked in something that wasn’t quite a smile. "A place befitting for an ambassador from Crimsonclaw."